Twelve fire tenders battled the flames and brought the fire under control quickly, a spokesman for Delhi Fire Service said.

No one was injured in the incident, the officer said. The reception area is located a little distance away from the main Parliament building.

Earlier, smoke was seen billowing from above the red sandstone boundary wall of the parliamentary complex as police tried to clear the streets around the building. The fire was reported to be at an air-conditioning plant on the outskirts of the complex. The building, opened in 1927 and designed by British architect Edwin Lutyens, was closed on a Sunday with few staff thought to be inside.

"We got a call about the fire at around 2 PM and ten fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately to douse the blaze," a senior fire department officials.

There was no immediate report of any casualty. Fire department officials said the blaze apparently started from the AC plant on the premises.